Letters

"Dude's" Thoughtfulness

To THE EDITOR: The passing on of Professor Colby brings to mind his thoughtful regard for his students. I had been out teaching my senior year and on my return went to Professor Colby to "make up" on a course I was taking under him. He informed me he was waiting for all the boys who had been out teaching to return, when he would repeat his lectures. We, who had little money, were not to miss his lectures.

The Union Central Life Insurance Company,30 Vine Street,Winchester, Mass.

Wah-Hoo-Wah!

To THE EDITOR: I have intended for some time to drop you a line expressing my appreciation of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, but with all the exactions that daily journalism imposes on an editor I have only just got around to do it. Every issue that you turn out seems even better than the one immediately preceding it and if this sort of thing continues, the magazine will reach such a state of perfection that you will have nothing to shoot at.

In the selection and arrangement of material I know of no college publication that begins to equal it, and the press work is all that could be desired. The plan under which this magazine now reaches practically every Dartmouth graduate renders both the alumni and the College a distinct and valuable service.

If your modesty will permit it I propose your name for top place in the "Wah-Hoo-Wah" column of the December issue.

EditorThe Hartford Courant,ConnecticutNov. 3, 1939

[Here's a lusty WAH-HOO-WAH for thehard-working class secretaries, alumni cluband association secretaries, and for all contributors and editors, whose joint efforts aresetting a higher standard for the DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE—ED.]

On the Way

To THE EDITOR: Why don't we ever get news of John M. Mecklin? Surely won't your new series of interviews with such as Professors Lambuth and Anderson furnish us at an early date with an interview with Professor Mecklin? Expectant and appreciatively,

520 Jackson Avenue,Glencoe, Illinois,October 25, 1939.

[A biographical sketch of Professor Mecklin has been scheduled by the editors andwill appear in a later issue.—ED.]

Hedda Hopper Says

To THE EDITOR: Herewith is an interesting comment on Hanover from a national columnist, Hedda Hopper, who included the following paragraph in a recent letter to me:

"It's only since I've reached the sear andyellow that I appreciate you fine Dartmouthmen. As a matter of fact, I know quite a fewof you, and if I had a boy that's where I'dput him."

2122 North Catalina Street,Hollywood, California.

School Leader

To THE EDITOR: Having read the "Wah-Hoo-Wah" column on page seven of the November MAGAZINE, I suggest for this recognition the name of Carroll W. Peavey '26, popular headmaster of the new 1000-pupil Spaulding High School in Rochester, rated by outside experts as probably the finest high school in New England, and in fact, in the U.S.

This school is the gift of the Spauldings who gave Dartmouth her swimming pool. Mr. Peavey represented New Hampshire at the National Education Association Convention in California last summer, and is president of the New Hampshire Teachers' Association.

81A Wakefield Street,Rochester, New Hampshire,November 7, 1939.

From Francois Denoeu

To THE EDITOR: The die is cast; I kept my inveterate optimism to the end; I had a better opinion of the German mentality than now; the disillusion is painful: it is a Spartan re-awakening for everyone in France, for we all understand that we have borne too long and too meekly the German ruthlessness and ever-growing greed. The whole of France is grimly resolved to make an end of the German political immorality. "II faut en finir" as Chamberlain said. We all understand that the Balkans came next after Poland, and that Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and France were reserved for the next meal. Let the United States thank God and the Atlantic Ocean for their present security but let them also give us more than their prayers in this plight.

The French army is fighting primarily for the preservation of France but I am sure, knowing America as I know her, that only the Bund believe that in so doing we are not fighting to keep the Nazi tide away from the shores of the United States, my other native country.

I was mobilized late in August and spent two weeks at Mezieres, not far from the Maginot Line. It was and still is a quiet sector. I have come to Ancenis, not so far away from Saint Nazaire—well known to the doughboys of twenty years ago—to organize a base. My company has swollen to nearly four hundred men. Can you picture the peaceful-looking Dartmouth professor barking out orders, drilling his men, watching out that they be well fed, well quartered and sufficiently well dressed?

But in all this seething life I yearn for the peace of Hanover, for the harmonious combination of muscle and brains prevailing between Dartmouth Row and the Gymnasium. I miss my students and my colleagues, I miss the French Club, I miss the tenth floor of the library on which I had my study, I miss my cup of coffee at Mac's, I miss you all, and so do Suzanne and the children. I have been able to shelter them here with me at Ancenis, the home of du Bellay who wrote the best sonnet in the French language: Heureux qui comme Ulysse.... Ask my former students; they all know it.

I am afraid this is going to be a long war; unlike the last one it will be more economic and political than murderous on the battlefields, and the infantry—of which lam a humble unit—is glad of it.

Europe is too complicated. Where is the remedy for our ever-recurring ills? Yesterday we tried the League of Nations, today we are again trying war.- What a fatal circle! Men's wits are at an end; the reign of brute beasts is beginning again. Armageddon is hilarious. God help us all! I pray that America can keep her young men out of this war and that dissatisfactions among the heterogeneous masses of "Greater Germany" will eventually overthrow the Nazi regime and therefore bring back in Europe the dove and the twig of olive.

I would like to get news of the College once in a while. May I hope that you can send the ALUMNI MAGAZINE to my address: Capitaine Francis Denoeu, Commandant la 3e Cie de Passage, Depot 23, Ancenis,

Tell my friend Professor Schlossmacher, now a U. S. citizen, that more than ever I am his friend.

Varsity Chess Team

To THE EDITOR: When an activity survives its tenth year, it begins to look as though it's here to stay. Dartmouth has had a chess team now since 1930, but nary a word has been published about it in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. NOW that the Club has "come of age," perhaps you can find a vacant column in your December issue for this bit. I know the boys who play the game would like to see it mentioned, and perhaps it rates as forgotten news, Out not entirely insignificant, from your readers' standpoint.

Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, Inc.,383 Madison Avenue, New York.

[Mr. Holbrook's story of "Chess at Dartmouth" is published in this issue, page 25.]

Questions Isolation

To THE EDITOR: The November number of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE has a letter from a graduate of last June who earnestly appeals to other young men, their families . and friends, to organize against war-like interests and activities.

It has long been a characteristic of American life that each citizen may, with or without followers, have the satisfaction of leading a crusade. In this case I do not expect there will be mass movement.

I have a misty recollection of three American wars. The war between the states was over a decade before I was born but among men it was still one of the dozen chief subjects for conversation. These young men who were in college and preparatory school in 1861 had enlisted with seriousness if not with enthusiasm. In my mother's Sallust, cribbed translations disappeared and were replaced with starry flags and with mature conclusions, "The Union must be preserved."

The Spanish War came as I was graduating from college. There was no question; our classes enlisted freely and went as far as time permitted and we accepted Roosevelt the Ist as our leader in thought and action.

When the Great War was being fought I was directing the state system of public schools in New Hampshire and I knew both schools and colleges. Young men enlisted, not because they wanted to fight but because they wanted to maintain their self respect.

Our youth in 1939 is not different from that of 1861, 1897, and 1918. There will be propaganda; there will be hysterical appeals, but youth is ever profoundly philosophical. War is bad but there are worse things than war.

Hartford, Connecticut,November 11, 1939.

Watch Out!

To THE EDITOR: May I second the motion of Stephen J. Bradley '39 that all Dartmouth men take a firm stand against the involvement of the United States in another overseas war? We should have learned our lesson from the last one. We were presumably fighting to preserve the world for Democracy and look at what we got! We should realize that it is ridiculous for us to be the goat and pull England's and France's chestnuts out of the fire they themselves are responsible, to a large degree, for creating.

This war doesn't differ very seriously in its motives from the last one. We should all get together in opposing any possible entrance into it on the part of the United States. Those who are called to fight in these wars do not like them nor do they want to fight them. It is only when their intelligence is stifled under a barrage of high-sounding words that they finally keel over emotionally and consent to win more profits for the munitions makers. Remember that a law, though it be a nice thing to have, will not do the trick. Only concerted effort on the part of the people can guarantee us from this barbarian slaughter.

The University of Texas,Austin,November 9, 1939.

American in Paris

To THE EDITOR: I have been meaning to write for some time but have waited until there was something to say. You would be surprised to know how little we hear about what is going on up at the Front. Of course the French communiques come out in the papers and the radio keeps on going. All nations broadcast in other languages and you do not know until you have listened for a few moments who is talking. The Germans have an English traitor who speaks with a perfect Oxford accent and the French broadcast to the Germans in German. It is probable that the Swiss and Dutch information is the most impartial and even the Italians seem to be rather fair. I have not as yet seen any of my French friends back from the front. The French seem to have taken about 150 square kilometers of the territory between the two fortified lines and are on German soil. As you know the two lines run along each side of the Rhine for a ways and then split leaving about twelve miles of No Man's Land. Here is where the fighting is going on. We have had several speakers who have seen the War in Poland at the American Club and apparently it was ghastly. The Germans came on with 300 tanks to the square kilometer and as a Pole told us yesterday the defending forces didn't see a soldier for two weeks only a horde of airplanes and a wall of tanks. Meanwhile the French mobilization has gone on smoothly and it is pretty certain that the Germans will not come sweeping into the country. So far we have had no bombings of Paris and it is doubtful if they have much chance to get here or if they do they will lose 40% of their planes. The town is jolly well defended by anti-aircraft guns, planes and balloons. We have had two or three alerts as the sirens sound every time a plane even crosses the border. Meanwhile most of the women and all of the children practically have been sent to the country and there isn't much to hit even if they come over except to knock a few buildings to pieces.

Life here is pretty dreary. The town is darkened at night and everyone drives on parking lights. It is so dangerous to go around with a car that I usually plan to get home before dark. Cafes and movies are open until 10. A great many of my American friends have gone home as business is at a standstill. How long the War will last we have no idea. The French and British are determined to finish with it this time however as this mobilizing every six months was getting on our nerves and making it impossible to do business and damned expensive as well. There is no doubt that the Germans are beginning to get hungry already and the Winter is just commencing. If they kick out Hitler and his gang possibly we can reason with them. The British and French navies have them pretty well bottled up, better than in the last War and they, the Germans, don't seem to have a friend. France has cleaned out the Communists and thrown a lot of them in gaol which wasn't too soon. Since the Germans played ball with the Russians, the Spanish and even the Italians are cool to them. So far things are going well for the Allies and there are a lot of British in France already and a lot of planes.

UNNEEDED VOLUNTEERS

A couple of ex-soldier Irishmen are trying to get up an American Division. Washington has been rather hard-boiled on this sort of thing and let it be known that under American Laws recruiting against a friendly power carries a year's prison sentence and yanking of your American passport which everybody is particularly anxious to hang on to these days. Neither have the French been too encouraging up to now. They have thanked all volunteers of every nationality, listed them in special bureaus and told them to come back in six months when they have finished polishing up their own army. They have more troops than they can use at present and are waiting to see what the next move is. About ten percent of the men actually mobilized are enough to hold the present front and the show really hasn't gotten going. It is made difficult to go jazzing around the country in your car as a modern army needs

a lot of gasoline and it is not to be wasted on joy-riding. The American Hospital has been turned over to the French and no doubt ambulance corps will be formed. All sorts of hospitals are ready but thank God, so far we haven't many wounded. There is of course censorship of letters and currency control. I believe that the present regulations forbid sending dollars out of the country and limit the amount of money that you can carry away to five thousand francs. There is also obligatory registration with the police but as long as you have your papers in order and are a decent citizen, nobody bothers you. Were the city not so empty it would be hard to realize there was a War on.

I have seen Horton Kennedy lately who is living outside Paris and coming in each day. Bo Wentworth is here as well. His wife and child are on the sea coast. Jiggs Donahue is here with Palmolive and Wythe Williams at the Embassy. That is all the Dartmouth crowd I can think of except Percy Noel who is here as well. Social life has so slowed up that unless you drop in at the Embassy, American Club or the Legion, you are not likely to see your friends. I am looking at a big place in the country and plan to go farming for the present if the proprietor and I can get together on the price. One American School is on the sea coast and the other in the Alps so I imagine that the Dartmouth Track Cup will stay in mothballs for the duration of the unpleasantness. This is a rather dumb letter but there is really nothing to say. White River June is more lively now.

Paris, October 6.